U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn said Wednesday that Gov. Kevin Stitt should consider clemency for death row inmate Julius D. Jones, but Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said Horn had formed an opinion “without even taking time to research the true facts.”

Horn, D-Oklahoma City, issued a statement about Jones on a day when backers of a clemency petition sought national attention for the cause.

Horn, an attorney, said, “I stand with Oklahoma City community leaders and advocates nationwide in calling on our governor to consider Julius Jones’ petition for clemency.

“Ending Julius’s life when there is so much uncertainty in his case would be an injustice, and we cannot answer one injustice with another. During the holiday season, I hope that we can appeal to our better angels for a more humane, just resolution to this case.”

Jones was convicted of the 1999 killing of Paul Howell in Edmond. The conviction has been upheld by state and federal appellate courts. In 2018, a forensics lab in Virginia reported that the DNA from a stain on the red bandanna worn by Howell’s killer "matches" Jones' DNA.

The U.S. Supreme Court in April declined to hear Jones’ argument that his conviction and sentence were tainted by a racist juror. Jones, now 39, has exhausted his appeals and is eligible for an execution date when the state resumes executions.

In an interview, Horn said she wrote a letter to Stitt in October to “advocate for at least a review” of Jones’ petition for clemency.

“I’m taking the position that there are many unanswered questions in this case and that — when there are so many unanswered questions and problems with the evidence and some of the things that happened along the way — that troubles me for it to be a death penalty issue.”

Celebrity Kim Kardashian West and musician John Legend are among those who have taken up Jones’ cause. Kardashian West tweeted last week that Jones was on death row “despite maintaining his innocence and compelling evidence that he was wrongfully convicted. His case has also been strained with so much racial discrimination.” More than 135,000 people have signed an online petition on Jones' behalf.

Oklahoma County Commissioner Carrie Blumert has also urged that Jones’ sentence be commuted, as have members of the faith community and criminal justice reform advocates.

Prater said Wednesday, “It is unfortunate that the Congresswoman and many other people have chosen to form an opinion about the case of this cold-blooded murderer without even taking the time to research the true facts.

“It matters not to me the number of foolish people who will sign a petition supporting the murderer without even researching the public record of the case.

“They are entitled to their uninformed opinion about the killer, but they don’t have the right to spin their own set of lies and half-truths. It is important to note that the case has been reviewed by both state and federal courts through the appellate process. Every court has affirmed the guilt and sentence of this killer.”

A spokesperson for Stitt said, “The governor’s office has been paying close attention to the Julius Jones case. There is not an official position at this time, as we are continuing to actively listen to Oklahomans and those involved in the case.”

Chris Casteel

Chris Casteel began working for The Oklahoman's Norman bureau in 1982 while a student at the University of Oklahoma. Casteel covered the police beat, federal courts and the state Legislature in Oklahoma City. From 1990 through 2016, he was the...
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